IAS – Indian Administrative Service is what millions of aspirants want to do in the country. You can see lakhs of aspirants appear for exams like the Civil Services Exam (CSE) to bag a job at any of the top government services like IAS, IPS, IFS, etc.
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is the Central Authority that regulates the complete recruitment process. The exam is one of the toughest competitive exams in India, and the increasing competition has also increased its difficulty level, making it imperative for aspirants to prepare more than well.
But the UPSC exam preparation can be burdensome if not done correctly. That’s why many UPSC institutes in Faridabad are coming to the surface. One can also easily find a good number of PCS institutes in Faridabad.
If you’re also thinking about how to prepare for the IAS exam, you’ve landed on the right page. This article will list a few points on preparing for an IAS exam.
So let’s begin!
Prepare Yourself Mentally
Before beginning the exam preparation, you’ve to prepare yourself mentally for the journey. It is not a new fact that IAS is one of the most difficult exams in India and needs thorough preparation and hard work. Therefore, you should prepare yourself mentally and physically for the upcoming days. You can begin with setting your goals and stick to the strategy until they are achieved. Also, get ready to face all the challenges and hardships that might come in the way of bagging an IAS job.
Understand The Eligibility And Pattern Of The Exam
Once you have made up your mind, it’s time to find your eligibility to appear for the exam. To help you, here are the eligibility criteria for the IAS exam:
Category | Maximum Age Limit | No. Of Attempts |
General | 32 | 6 |
OBC | 35 | 9 |
SC/ST | 37 | Unlimited (till the age limit) |
Physically disabled
(Blind, Deaf-mute, Orthopedic) |
42 | For General & OBC -9
For SC/ST – Till the age limit |
J&K domicile | For general – 37
For OBC – 40 For SC/ST – 42 For PH – 50 |
depends on the above categories viz. Gen, OBC, SC/ST, Disabled |
Disabled serviceman discharged from duty | For general – 35
For OBC – 38 For SC/ST – 40 |
depends on the above categories viz. Gen, OBC, SC/ST, Disabled |
Ex-serviceman with five years duty* specific condition on page2 of notification | For general – 37
For OBC – 40 For SC/ST – 42 |
depends on the above categories viz. Gen, OBC, SC/ST, Disabled |
IAS Exam Pattern
The IAS Exam(Mains) comprises 9 papers, which are as follows:
- Paper-A (Compulsory Indian Language),
- Paper –B (English) which are qualifying in nature, while the other papers like Essay,
- General Studies Papers I, II, III, and IV, and
- Optional Papers I and II are considered for the final ranking.
Create A Study Plan
Now, that you are all ready to begin the preparation, it’s time to make a feasible study plan or timetable. Maintain proper discipline and create a timetable that you can follow. The right study routine will ensure that you are stepping in the direction of achieving your dream of cracking the IAS exam. The timetable will streamline your daily routine and help you track your progress. You can make modifications (if required) to the timetable as the days passes, and the exam date comes near to cover every topic.
Know The Syllabus
Get an understanding of the entire syllabus beforehand, which will also help you create the right timetable. It will also allow you to know what type of questions will come in the exams, so you can prepare accordingly.
It will also help you to analyze the amount of time required to attend to each question. This further assists you in increasing your speed and offers the scope for improvement. You can make a list of topics and subtopics which are asked in the previous years’ question papers. Once you are particular with the syllabus, it becomes easy to cover each topic and boost the chances of success in the exam.
Keep Yourself Updated With Current Affairs
IAS aspirants must keep themselves updated with what’s happening around the globe. The best way to stay updated is by reading the newspaper daily. It will keep them tuned with the current affairs. Aspirants can also enroll in the best PCS institute in Faridabad, which will also help them get updated on current affairs. Additionally, they can refer to the quality current affairs books and other study material that provide extensive knowledge about the topic.
Choose The Optional Subject Wisely
The UPSC exam has a provision for choosing an optional subject, and the same accounts for 500 marks. Therefore, you must be very careful while choosing as the same will affect your ranking and fortune. Before choosing, go through every pro and con of the subject and choose one that you are keen to learn and something you have an interest in. With the proper study material and the help of the best PCS coaching in Faridabad, you can learn the subject better to score higher.
Pick The Right Study Material
Good books pave your way to better learning and cracking the exam to bag your dream spot in the government services. Therefore, it is essential to get a simple study material to understand, provides authentic information, and cover the syllabus. You can find a lot of study materials online and in the market, but make sure you choose the right one. You can go for NCERT books to help you understand topics from the basics and build your knowledge from scratch. These books cover most of the topics and are authentic and reliable. You can also go for e-books for IAS preparations. Certain magazines like Kurukshetra, Yojana, Economic & Political Weekly, etc., are best for last-minute revisions.
Wrapping Up
The above-mentioned are some points that can help IAS aspirants to kick-start their preparation and increase their chances of success.
We hope that the article has helped you with how to prepare for the IAS exam. If you have any questions or doubts, please feel free to let us know in the comments section below.https://www.placemyarticle.com/